Élian’s hometown

The U.S. embargo against Cuba is crumbling of its own absurdity. An increasing number of religious, academic and business groups are eager to visit Cuba. The Clinton administration makes it easy to obtain travel permission (just get a license from the Treasury Department), and Fidel Castro wants U.S. dollars, so he readily sanctions invitations from Cuban groups.

The travel agency that booked my recent trip—one of several that arrange trips there—sent 51 groups to Cuba in January alone. These included seminarians from San Francisco and Yale, as well as groups from the Rhode Island School of Design, Berea College, the Women’s National Democratic Club and the Historic Savannah Foundation.